Connecting cable and plug therefor



Feb. 12, 1929.

L. R. TAYLOR CONNECTING CABLE AND PLUG THEREFOR Filed March 22. 1922 INVENTOR. ozw/ w y/h BY ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 12, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS nonnnrs TAYLOR, or MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

CONNECTING CABLE AND PLUG THEREFOR.

Application filed March 22, 1922. Serial No. 545,750.

This invention relates to connecting cables and plugs therefor.

In the use of attachingcables, it has been .found that the maximum wear occurs at the point of union of the terminal plug and cable. This is particularly true where the cable is used under very severe conditions, as for exlife will be had.

Further objects of this invention are to proample, on railway coaches suchas'those having electrical systems necessitating the coupling electrically of one system within one car with the system in the, next car. It is, therefore, aprimary object of this invention to provide an attaching cable with terminal plugs in such a manner that an extremely long vide plugs for connecting cables which will allow the cable, adjacent the plug, to assume its approximately natural curvature; to provide a plug which will seatin asocket disposed in one plane, but which has a cable receiving extension which is substantially tangential to the adjacent portion of the catenary traced by the cable; and to provide a plug which has its projecting parts completely insulated. Further objects are to provide an attaching cable with semi-permanently positioned plugs at its ends, and to provide asimple and cheap form of construction which will'have. a long life. Anembodiment of the invention isshown in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the attaching cable and the terminal plugs in position with intheir sockets, such view illustrating the usual sockets found on railway coaches for the electrical systems. i

- Fig. 2 is a detail of one of the plugs showing it in position in ing member. v r

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4: is a view of a metal portion of a plug removed from its sheath and from the attaching cable.

The coaches 1 and 2 are shown equipped with permanently positioned socket members 3 and 4, respectively, which are in turn provided with clamping thumb screws 5 and 6. It is customary in this type of construction to provide multiple sockets and to provide multiple tongue plugs to cooperate therewith. One of these multiple tongue plugs is illustrated in Fig. 2 from which it will be seen that the plug comprises a metallic body 7 provided one position of rotation.

the intermediate connectwith an external insulating sheathS and with pro ecting tongue-like members 9 whlch, as my be seen tromFig. 8, are of rectangular contour. These tongues 9 are slipped into the corresponding sockets in the members 3 and t and clamped in position by means of. the thumb screws 5 and 6.

In the practice of this invention, the bared end 10 or the attaching cable is positioned within a hollow cylindrical extension 11 of the terminal plug. This plug has a cylindrical projecting tongue or plug portion proper, indicated at 12 in Fig. 2which is adapted to be positioned within the socket formed in the block or metal portions? of the multiple plug. The extension 12 may be provided with a flat bottom portion as indicated at 13 inFig. 3 against which a pair of set screws leareadapted to bearto retain the plugboth against withdrawal and rotation. The socket of the block? jmaybe formed with one side flattened tocooperate with the flat bottom portion 13 of extension 12 (see Fig. 3).

Thus the extension '12 can only be inserted in the socket of block 7 in This arrangement will also maintain the extension 12 and block 7 in proper relative alignment,

Theextensiomor projecting portionfll is by means of a pair of set screws 13" threaded through apertures in the socket member 11 of the terminal plug. The insulation 14 of the cable extends to the end of the socket member 11 and an insulating sheath 15 is slipped over the member 11 and a portion of the insulating sheathlt of the cable. It is to be noted that the outer end of the insulating sheath 15 is cut along a slanting plane as indicated at 17 so that it will abut against the insulating casing 8 of the multiple tongue plug. It will be seen that the insulating sheath 15 completely covers all of the metallic portions which would otherwise be exposed when the plug portion 12 is in its adjusted po sition. If desired, the set screws 13 may be omitted and solder may be'run into the socket of the member 11 to thereby secure the bared portion 10 of the cable in position. A simple sweating operation may be found sufficient under certain conditions.

It will be seen from the description and drawings that an attaching cable equipped with terminal plugs has been provided which has an extremely long life; which will not break adjacent the plugs under normal conditions; and which is of extremely simple construction. It wil further be seen that when the plug portion 12 has been subjected to excessive wear, the terminal plugs may be removed from the bared portion 10 of the cable as these plugs are semi-removably attached to the cable.

It is to be understood that the term eatenary is intended to describe the actual curve traced by the suspended cable.

I claim: I

1. A cable adapted to span the distance between terminals on two adjacent coaches of a railroad train and to be suspended between said terminals, said cable comprising in combination a flexible conductor of predetermined length with reference to the distance between terminals of standard coaches whereby said conductor is adapted to be suspended in a relatively fiat catenary, and a plug member at each end of said conductor including a projecting tongue adapted to be engaged with said terminals and connecting portions rigidly connected with said tongues and with the extremities of said conductor, each such connecting portion being disposed at an angle with its respective tongue corresponding substantially to the tangent of the catenary of the conductor in its normal suspended position.

2. A cable adapted to span the distance between the terminals 011 two adjacent coaches of arailroad trainand-to be suspended betweensaid terminals in a relatively fiat eatenary, said cable comprising in combination a flexible conductor of predetermined length with reference to the distance between terminals of stationary coaches whereby to be adapted todepend between such terminals in a predetermined relatively flat catenary, a plug member at each end of the conductor in cluding a projecting element detachably engageable with said terminals, and connecting portions rigidly connected with the respective ext'remitiesof the conductor and with said elements, each such connecting portion being disposed at anangle with its respective element corresponding substantially to the tangent ofthecatenary of the conductor in'its normal suspended position and eachproject- 'ing element having a surface formed to en- Vtenary whichsaidcables assume when suspendedbetween said terminals.

LOUIS ROBERTS TAYLOR. 

